Instead of offering guidance on focus and ending with a demo day, UpRamp’s three-month program plans to end with actual contracts and deals for the participants. How so? UpRamp has access to CableLabs’ network of hundreds of cable executives who are desperately seeking ways to revive business.

“Response has been spectacular so far. Our focus on deals, not demo days, is a refreshing reboot on the startup accelerator space,” said Scott Brown, UpRamp’s managing director.

Brown said nearly any company should consider the program because cable and internet are used by nearly everyone. Read more…

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Evolution Digital’s technology figured out how to make it cheaper for TV providers to offer over-the-top streaming video content to customers.

In an effort to drive down the cost of TV service, a Denver-based cable provider has partnered with TiVo and Centennial’s Evolution Digital to build a low-cost set-top box to offer its customers streaming services along with regular cable TV.

WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone, which is based in Denver but has no customers here, plans to use the technology to roll out “a growing slate of OTT (over-the-top streaming) content offerings” like Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora and Spotify, said Cash Hagen, WOW’s chief technology officer, in a statement.

“The new WOW! offering from TiVo will serve the next generation of millennial and skinny bundle subscribers seeking video solutions to complement our leading broadband offerings,” Hagen said. Read more…

The two companies build technology to help cable and other pay-TV providers offer the new over-the-top (OTT) streaming video services to consumers. Customers include Comcast, Cox Communications, Mediacom, WoW, Midcontinent, Izzi (Televisa-owned Cable operator in Mexico), and Cable and Wireless in the Caribbean.

With the acquisition, Evolution now has technology focused on moving Internet-based content to set-top boxes and connected devices — plus about 30 software engineers. Read more…

Sling TV, the online TV service from Dish Network, has done away with long-term contracts and commitments. Go ahead, add it. No fees. And then cancel it. No fees. And add it again! Image courtesy of Sling TV.

With the rise of new TV services, we thought it was darn well time to take a look at what plans work best for different customers. This is part of an ongoing series to help readers figure out if these real-life TV plans from local TV providers and online video services might better fit your lifestyle.

Customer: They raised my rate again? I’m canceling!

Pay TV companies spend a good chunk of money to lure new customers. For existing customers, we often feel like chopped liver. And when rates go up each year, we complain but many grudgingly make the call to threaten cancellation.

Newer TV services are following T-Mobile’s lead and treating customers the same as potential customers. They’re doing away with limited-time deals, long-term contracts and annual rate increases (at least so far). Read more…

With the cable industry facing a major shift in how consumers watch TV, Starz said Thursday it added 400,000 new subscribers since January 1. Subscribers are up 1.8 million in the 12 months that ended March 31. Its stock price shot up past $40 before closing in after-hours trading $39.33, a record.

The Douglas County company did better than expected. Consolidated revenues rose 7.3 percent from first-quarter a year ago to $450.7 million. Net income jumped 29 percent to $86.1 million.

Lower programming costs, less money spent on marketing and rate increases from various distributors all helped boost revenues, according to the company’s financial report.

Meanwhile, another growing category was Starz Distribution, which saw revenue increase $22.4 million to $109.7 million, thanks to licensing fees from Netflix and Amazon.

The company also paid a bigger chunk of its budget for original programming, increasing its investment $13.6 million to $69.1 million.

Starz ended the quarter with 23.7 million subscribers, an all-time high. A year ago, the company had 21.9 million subscribers. However, for its Encore channel, subscribers dropped by about 600,000 to 33.8 million subscribers. Encore features movies and reruns of old TV shows, like “Magnum P.I.” and “Lonesome Dove.”

The company, which had 955 employees at the end of 2014, said the Starz growth is due to the popularity of its original TV shows, including “Outlander,” “Black Sails” and “Flesh and Bone.” Earlier this month, the company also launched STARZ PLAY Arabia, an online streaming service to customers in the Middle East and North Africa.

Consumers are less willing to dump their cellphone than other goods and services.

Cost-cutting Americans are more willing to give up cable-TV and Starbucks than their cellphone and Internet services.

A poll of 3,148 respondents conducted by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that more than half listed their cellphone as the last thing they would give up in order to save money. Only one percent said “designer coffee.”

“It appears that Americans love their technology and are determined to stay connected,” said Gail Cunningham of the NFCC.

Tamara Chuang covers personal technology and local tech news for The Denver Post. She previously spent 10 years doing the same thing for The Orange County Register before taking a hiatus to move here and become a SAHM to a precocious toddler.